VI 



HETEROCERA CASTNIIDAE 



371 



04. Wings divided into plumes (Cat, 65, 66). 



65. Fore wing divided into at most two, hind wing into three 

 plumes . . . Fam. 42. Pterophoridae, see p. 426. 



66. Fore wing and hind wing each divided into three plumes 



Fam. 43. Alucitidae ( = Orneodidae ;, see p. 426. 



Fam. 1. Castniidae. The Insects of this family combine to a 

 extent the characters of Imtterjiies and moths. The antennae 

 are knvlilm/ or hooked at t/ie tip, there is a large precostal area to 

 tlte hind u-intj. The nervules of the front icing are complex ami 

 <t itastomose so as to form one or more accessory cells (Fig. 1 6 2). This 

 important, but not extensive, family consists chiefly of forms found 

 in tropical America and Australia. The diversity of size, form and 

 appearance is very great, and it is probable that the members of the 

 family will be separated ; indeed, taxoiiomists are by no means 

 in agreement as to the limits of the family. The Castniidae 

 are diurnal Insects, and the Xorth American genus Megathymus 



is by many con- 

 sidered to belong 

 to the Ehopalo- 

 cera. Euschemon 

 rafflesiae (Fig. 186) 

 is extremely like a 

 large Skipper with 

 long antennae, but 

 has a well-marked 

 frenulum. The 

 members of the 

 Australian genus 

 Sync mo it are much smaller, but they also look like Skippers. 

 Their habits are very like those of the Hesperiidae ; they 

 Hit about in the hot sunshine, and when settling after their 

 brief flights, the fore wings are spread out at right angles to 

 the body, so as to display the more gaily coloured hind 

 wings : at night, or in cloudy weather, the Insect rests on 

 blades of grass with the wings erect, meeting vertically over 

 the back, like a butterfly. Hecatesia, another Australian genus, 

 is now usually assigned to Agaristidae ; its members look like 

 moths. The male of H. fenestrata is provided with a sound- 

 producing organ similar to that of the Agaristid genus Aegocera. 

 The Cx tin i of South America are manv of them like 



FIG. 186. Euschemon rafflesiae. Australia. (After 

 Doubleday. ) 



